THE ASSIGNMENT
TO BEGIN
1. Begin with the detailed interview guide sheet. This guide sheet will help you to understand the questions you will ask in your interview. You are advised to explore only one side of your family if this is possible: your sibling, father, and grandfather or your sibling, mother, and grandmother. If your relatives are not available or have died, you can use aunts, uncles or other people who are a part of your extended family.
In filling out the interview guide sheet, write clearly and accurately and attach a sheet of paper if you need more room to describe a particular category. Be sure you have the permission of the person you are interviewing as whatever information you will use in your paper no longer is confidential. It is a good idea to record your interviews. If you find that certain kinds of information are more accessible or more interesting to you, keep this in mind so that you may explore the topic more completely.
2. Next, use the Interviewing Techniques as a guide to interviewing your parents and grandparents, etc.
3. After you interview your mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, children and/or grandchildren, jot down any notes or comparisons across the generations that interest you.
Be sure to review your notes and your tape as soon after the interview as possible.
4. Make sure to include references to all three primary sources within the body of your
narrative and in the Works Cited page.
SECONDARY SOURCES
1. The previously listed sources on the first page can be consulted to begin your research.
2. Your family narrative must have a minimum of FIVE or more secondary
materials from the subject areas appropriately referenced. (Information from the personal
interviews must be included and also appropriately referenced). Secondary sources can be
chosen from the following:
• MAJOR books (no encyclopedias)
• Legitimate accessible academic Web sites (NO MORE THAN THREE and NO Wikipedia)
• MAJOR newspapers such as The New York Times
• MAJOR periodicals (NOT Newsday or Times Magazine but scholarly and academic in nature)
MAKE SURE TO CONSIDER
a. Give an overview of the topics and how they relate to three generations in your family or to your generation
b. State the importance of the topics socially, politically, historically or personally
c. Give a special quotation (from family conversation or research in the library) that will awaken the reader’s interest
d. Give a startling fact or statistic that will awaken the reader’s interest
e. Relate a brief family anecdote that will draw the reader into your topic.
THE CONCLUSION
The concluding paragraphs should summarize the central ideas of your paper and should give the reader the feeling that the paper is complete. Show the significance of the topics; speculate about the future; conclude with an anecdote, a suggestion or a statement. Signal the ending with words such as: “therefore”, “finally”, “in conclusion”.
Overall Structure – Write the topic sentence of every paragraph on a separate sheet of paper. Examine the order of the topic sentences or main ideas of your paper. Does the order show development or logic? Are similar ideas grouped together? Cut and paste paragraphs if necessary at this time. Be flexible and rearrange the way your paragraphs are sequenced or ordered.
INTERVIEW GUIDE SHEET
– PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU USE ANY OF THE TOPICS IN THIS SECTION, YOU MUST DECIDE WHICH SUBJECT AREAS THEY FALL UNDER TO USE THEM FOR YOUR FINAL NARRATIVE PAPER.
1. Information about Birth: Find out the date and place of birth and any interesting information relating to either the place of birth or any notable environmental features.
2. Number of Siblings: List the names of siblings chronologically (according to age) and for each, note the dates of their birth. Also note any death(s) among them.
3. Education: List the number of years of formal schooling, including names and locations of schools. Ask about types of courses, skills learned, etc.
4. Employment: List the age of the interviewee at the time of his/her first employment. Get information concerning the place of work, type of work, wages, working conditions, etc.
5. Religion: Ask about membership in churches, synagogues or religious organizations. Find out how participation in such activities was affected by economic, social and other conditions.
6. Leisure: Ask about recreational enjoyments.
7. Marriage: List age at time of marriage, name, age and occupation of spouse and the total number of years married, number of marriages. Also, find out the number of children produced by the marriage, their names, ages, birthdates and any information relating to any of their deaths (if applicable).
8. Affiliations: Include religious and political affiliations.
9. Historical Era: Ask for specific information about major political and social events, wars, world leaders, inventions, scientific discoveries, etc.
10. Family Lore: List any family anecdotes, legends, tales, sayings, superstitions or beliefs.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS TO ASK
NOTE: IF YOU USE ANY OF THE QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION, YOU MUST DECIDE WHICH SUBJECT AREAS THEY ARE UNDER TO PLACE THEM CORRECTLY FOR YOUR NARRATIVE PAPER. THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOT SUBJECT AREAS.
1. Information about Birth
Where were you born?
Do you remember your first home? Neighborhood? Town? City? County?
When did you move to your present home?
2. Number of Siblings
Who was the first born?
Did you have a brother or sister to whom you were closer? Why?
Can you remember all their birthdays?
3. Religion
How did religion affect the way you were brought up?
What were your attitudes towards others of different faiths?
4. Courtship and Marriage
How did you meet your husband/wife?
Can you tell me about your courtship?
What do you like most about your husband/wife?
5. Family Lore
Do you remember any favorite family anecdotes or stories?
What were some favorite expressions in your family?
Superstitions? Beliefs?
Were there any outstanding events that involved a member of your family at any time?
What are some of the family traditions known to almost all of the members of your family?
PERSONAL INFORMATION
· 3 Family Members:
Mom, Jesika Santiago (40 years old), Grandmother, Margaret Santiago (59 years old), Great Grandmother, Ana Rosado (75 years old)
· Race: Hispanic / Puerto Rican (all three born in Puerto Rico)
· Religion: Catholic
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